Hard Lessons
by Marie Nomad
Summary: For a long time, the Z warriors have been relying on the Dragon Balls to bring back loved ones, but what happens when they start taking death for granted and the Angel of Death knew?


Okay, all characters except for Kyuushi belongs to Akira Toriyama. Kyuushi belongs to me. She comes from the fic 'Normal Friends from Strange Places'.  
  
Hard Lessons  
By Maria Cline  
  
It was a beautiful night as the Z warriors gathered at Bulma's place for a get together. It had been a couple of years since they had defeated Buu and peace was felt throughout the Universe. Goku was alive again. Gohan and Videl are dating and are preparing to get married. Mr. Buu became Hercule's bodyguard. Vegita became more focused on his family than ever beofre. Everything felt right and yet not right.  
  
"I'm bored." Goku said as he ate. He was the most powerful warrior in the Universe, even Vegita had admitted it once. He and the other warriors had managed to defeat one of the most powerful foes the Universe had known and now, any other foe is almost weak.  
  
"Tell me about it. We are the strongest warriors in the Universe, no one can stop us." Vegita replied as he sighed.   
  
"I'm glad that you guys can handle any foe. Makes things a great deal easier to cope with." Bulma said as she served more burgers.  
  
"I don't like the idea of fighting any more super powerful villians." Gohan confessed as he sweatdropped. "I like peace."  
  
"Yeah, but we didn't have a chance to really fight." Goten complained, "I wanna try it again."  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
"Stop that nonsense boys!" Chi Chi screamed, "I don't want you guys to think about taking part in planet shattering battles until you grow up!"  
  
"Don't worry, Chi Chi..." Goku said as he gently patted her on the shoulder. "We can take on anyone now. Heck, I bet we can even take on Death herself."  
  
Piccolo's eyes shot wide open as he ran up to Goku and said, "Don't say that."  
  
"Say what?" Goku asked confused at Piccolo's tenseness.   
  
"That you can defeat Death herself. The Angel of Death might hear you." Piccolo whispered in a hushed tone. The other Z warriors stared at the Namekian, he had never sounded so paranoid in his life.   
  
"Piccolo, what you're saying is that there really is such a thing as an Angel of Death?" Goku asked as he grinned. He had heard rumors of an Angel of Death but he never had a chance to meet her. "All right!"  
  
"This Angel of Death doesn't sound that frightening." Vegita said smugly as he thought of another foe to fight.  
  
**NO! DON'T WISH TO FIGHT HER!** King Kai exclaimed in their heads. He was concerned, the Angel of Death was one of the most feared and powerful beings in the Multiverse. She has more then an eternity's worth of experience to guide her. **KYUUSHI ISN'T LIKE BUU, SHE'S NOT EVIL BUT IF YOU TALK ABOUT HER LIKE THIS, SHE WILL PUNISH YOU.**   
  
"So, what? We have handled death before, it's not that hard." Goku said as he laughed, "I've died twice and I'm fine. Most of us died before and nothing bad happened. I'd like to fight this Angel of Death myself!"  
  
Silence filled the air as the stars vanished. "You wish to fight me?" A voice whispered around them.   
  
"Yes, we wish to fight you!" Vegita boomed, "And we will win!"  
  
"Don't do it." Piccolo warned as his hands trembled.   
  
"Come on out, Angel of Death!" Goku cried out with anticipation.  
  
Bulma sighed as she got up, reached into her pouch and took out a huge dragon ball radar. "I better get ready to ressurect some people."  
  
"I'll clear the mess." Chi Chi said as she and the other warriors got up and started clearing away the various tables and foods.  
  
"I am here." A strange dark shadow appeared and a small figure emerged from the shadow. She was dressed in a long black hooded cloak with only a pair of red glowing eyes coming out. "I am Kyuushi, the Angel of Death."  
  
There was a strange aura of silence as the group stared at her. Mr. Buu gulped as he hid behind a rock. Goku and Vegita got up and looked down at the smaller figure. Chi Chi held Goten and Trunks back and Gohan stood in front of Videl to protect her. Everyone who had died before felt a strange feeling of coldness and numbness in their hearts.   
  
"You heard us?" Goku asked as he tried to look into the angel's eyes but felt too scared to see.  
  
"I did." The hooded figure bowed her head down. "I know of your battles and your triumphs... you have done a great deal of good in the universe. However, your attiude stinks."  
  
Goku glared down at her. "What do you mean? You can't insult us like that."  
  
"Why not? You mortals have taken death for granted." Kyuushi said as she glared at them. "If someone were to die, tragically, instead of mourning and moving on, you just gather up seven Dragon Balls and wish the person back. The Afterlife is a sacred place for the dead to rest but you turned it into a place to train and get stronger. I have allowed this attiude to continue for some time, even after you just let entire cities die because you can just bring them back after the battle. That is cowardly. That is no way to respect death."  
  
"Death is meant to be cheated. We have a right to live." Goku argued.  
  
"That's right, so what if some people die in our battles, we can just bring them back." Vegita added on.  
  
Kyuushi's eyes lit up as she stared up at Goku and Vegita. "Death is meant to be cheated?! DEATH IS NEVER MEANT TO BE CHEATED!" She boomed as she flung off her robe and hood. The Z group gasped as they saw a small teenage girl with long black wings, black leather armor, a black and silver circulet on her head, and a gold and black round weapon hanging on her belt. Goku and the other warriors stared at her and then went into a defensive stance. They can feel her strong power but they don't know how strong she is. "You have merely delayed the inevitable with magic but you will learn that not even you can defeat me!"   
  
She flung her wings out and a dark shadow overcame Goku, Vegita, Buu, Gohan, Goten, and Trunks and they vanished leaving the others behind.  
  
*****  
  
Goku opened his eyes to find himself in a strange desert with Gohan, Goten, Trunks, Vegita, and Buu looking around. "Where are we?" Goku wondered.  
  
"A private dimension of mine." Kyuushi replied, "It's called the Garden of the Angels, only Angels like myself know where it is. Not even Lord Kaioshin can enter it without our say so."  
  
"Where are the other angels?" Gohan wondered.  
  
"Over there." Kyuushi pointed and the group looked up to see three figures sitting on top of a group of clouds. "They are merely watching. They will not interfere."  
  
"Okay!" Goku said as he powered up, "Bring it on!"  
  
The other warriors powered up to their maximum form. They waited for some reaction from Kyuushi and she just yawned. "You mortals take forever to power up."  
  
Goku finally powered up to Super Saiyan III and flung a fist at the angel. Kyuushi lifted her hand and caught the fist. Goku gasped in shock as Kyuushi's small hand clutched down on his hand slowly crushing it. "Is that the best you can do, mortal?"  
  
"His name is Goku." Vegita said as he attacked in his Super Saiyan II form and swung his fist at the angel. Kyuushi simply grabbed the fist with her free hand.  
  
"Pathetic." Kyuushi said as she flung the two Saiyans to the ground.  
  
"She's hard." Goku said as his heart pounded. He had never met anyone so powerful since Buu. He smirked as he got up and his body tensed. He loved battles in which the chances of him winning were very small, it gives him a chance to become much stronger. He looked at Vegita who had the same expression on his face. They both love the way this fight feels.  
  
"Hey! Leave my father alone!" Gohan ordered as he powered up and attacked Kyuushi. Kyuushi simply looked up and her red eyes glowed. Gohan stopped as his heart pounded. His body tingled as he collapsed onto the ground. He couldn't attack her. He didn't know why. Every fiber in his being told him that this fight wasn't worth it, that if he fights her like this, he will lose. "Why can't I fight you?" Gohan wondered.  
  
"Because you're the most intelligent mortal here." Kyuushi smirked as she came up and kissed him on the forehead. "Good night."   
  
Gohan's eyes glazed over as he collapsed to the ground.  
  
"Gohan!" Goten screamed as he flew up and shook his brother. "What did you do to him?"  
  
"I'm not telling." Kyuushi said as she smiled mysteriously. "Death is meant to be mysterious."  
  
"Goten! The fusion dance!" Trunks ordered as he went into position.  
  
"Right!" Goten grinned as he joined Trunks.   
  
Kyuushi crossed her arms as she, Goku, and Vegita watched the two boys do their dance. A bright white light overcame them and a young boy came out and said, "Let's do it! YA!" The super powerful boy flew at Kyuushi with an outstretched fist.  
  
Kyuushi grabbed the boy's fist and flipped Gotenks over her shoulder and the boy landed face up. "You should've watched for this." Kyuushi said as she leaned down and gently kissed Gotenks on the cheek. The fused boy separated into Goten and Trunks and they lay on the ground dazed.  
  
Goku and Vegita stared at their kids and then Goku asked, "What did you do to them? Kill them?"  
  
"Why do you care? It's only death. They died once before." Kyuushi said as she laughed. "You are already in the Afterlife, why make such a big fuss?"  
  
Goku blinked at her. She was right but he didn't know what really happened. For all he know, those kids could be alive but paralized or in a coma. "We have to defeat her so she can reverse this." Goku said as he flew up and landed on a mountain. "Be ready for my ultimate attack!"  
  
Vegita nodded as he picked up the kids and Gohan and flew them out of the way and landed next to Goku. "Let's do this."  
  
Kyuushi simply stared up at Goku with a calm expression on her face.  
  
"Winds... Earth... stars... let me have a little bit of your strength, please!" Goku said as he flung his hands up into the air.  
  
Tiny traces of light flickered throughout the landscape and into Goku's outstretched hands. A ball of bright light started to grow. Goku strained as he gathered as much Ki as he could. The very planet and the dimension was filled with such power. The giant Ki ball hovered over Goku's head and Kyuushi just watched. Goku wondered why Kyuushi was so calm. Any other fighter would at least tremble at the sight of such a powerful blast. "Catch!" Goku screamed as he flung the ball at the angel.   
  
Kyuushi held out her hands and a bright flash of light overcame her. Goku and Vegita braced themselves for a powerful explosion. Several minutes passed as the brightness faded and Goku asked, "Wasn't there supposed to be a great big boom?"  
  
Goku and Vegita looked down to see Kyuushi holding a much smaller spirit bomb in her outstretched hands. "Caught it." Kyuushi said as she blew on it and the bomb disbursted. "I'm the Angel of Death, dealing with life forces is part of my business. Who do you think gave King Kai the idea of the Spirit Bomb?"  
  
Goku and Vegita's jaws dropped as the figures in the clouds watched intensly while chuckling. "What can defeat you?" Goku wondered as he went onto his knees.  
  
Kyuushi's wings extended and she flew at the two. The two Saiyans stared into the woman's eyes and felt frozen. Neither one can move or speak. "You don't get it. Do you? There are forces that can defeat me, like a fellow angel or a reincarnation of one. I accepted that fact but you mortals can't defeat me and you can never defeat me for one reason. All of you have died before. Part of my power is that I can make anyone who died once feel their death again and again as much as I like. Anyone who died at least once can never defeat me."  
  
She placed her hand on Goku's cheek. "You have always loved life, Goku. Your heart is pure and good, yet you and your friends have taken to believe that you're immortal because of a set of magical artifacts. I hate the Dragon Balls because they are so easy to use to cheat death. That is one of the reasons why I had those restrictions placed on them to prevent multiple deaths."  
  
She sighed as she snapped her fingers and Gohan, Goten, and Trunks got up. They gazed at her and didn't say a word, fearful for angering the Angel of Death. "They were never in any danger. I do believe in death being sacred but I don't believe in killing innocent people. I don't kill unless life is at stake. I love life that is why I invented death. In order for life to be precious, there must be a limit to life that much be experienced. Of course, here in the afterlife, life is eternal and yet is not as meaningful. Most of the occupants see this as a home, as a place to rest. You and your fellow mortals on Earth see this as a training ground, as a place to explore. It is a training ground and a place to explore but no one intended for you to take this place for granted."  
  
Kyuushi sighed as she turned her back and looked up at the sky. "No one is meant to know what life is like in this place. Death is meant to be mysterious so it scares mortals enough so they live life to its fullest and fight off death so they would be more greatful for life..." She turned back to the warriors and screamed, "THE AFTERLIFE IS NOT MEANT TO BE BLABBED ABOUT TO EVERYONE YOU SEE!!!"  
  
The angel stared at the group and said, "Now, do you understand how much trouble you caused?"  
  
"Sorry." Goku said as he rubbed his head.  
  
"Sorry? SORRY?! You and your mortal friends have disgraced and mocked death and all you can say is 'SORRY?!'" Kyuushi screamed as her wings flashed. "Don't you understand how little you think of death now?!"   
  
"We think about death all the time." Goku said as he rubbed his head.  
  
"Do you think about it seriously?" Kyuushi demanded as her eyes glow red. "Don't you ever wonder what would happen if you were to die the next day? As long as the Dragon Balls exist, you won't see death as an ending point in life. You will see death as an inconvience! You don't mourn, you just think 'Oh well, the Dragon Balls can always bring he or she back.'. BAH!"  
  
"What if we promise not to use the Dragon Balls to revive anyone?" Gohan asked, "I mean, we make it so our dragon can't revive anyone any more?"  
  
At once, the other Saiyans looked at Gohan confused. "What?! You mean, make it so once we die, we can't come back?" Goten asked as he shook with fear.  
  
"You're kidding right?" Trunks asked, "What if another villian comes and destroys Earth?"  
  
"It will give you more of an incentive to keep saving lives." Kyuushi said as she rubbed her chin. "Wait a sec." Kyuushi flew up to the cloud and whispered to the other angels.  
  
"Gohan, have you lost your mind?!" Vegita screamed, "We can't stop using the Dragon Balls to revive others!"  
  
"Look, she has a point. We have all become lazy and cocky with the Dragon Balls." Goku supported as he looked down. "Even I thought that death is just an inconvience, but it's not. We can't think like that any more. It's not right."  
  
Kyuushi flew back down and said, "We can't prevent the Dragon from making that wish but we can make it harder. We're going to make it so whenever you want to wish someone back from the dead, the wisher would have to suffer. You know, eye for an eye, life for a life."  
  
"Someone has to die in order to bring someone else back to life? What if we want to bring back a group of people?" Goku asked.  
  
"If a group of people must be brought back, only that wisher must die, permanently. It will give you mortals an incentive to save more lives." Kyuushi explained, "Fairly reasonable, don't you think?"  
  
"I suppose." Goku sweatdropped.  
  
"And as a little reminder." Kyuushi grabbed Goku's arm and it glowed. A grim reaper appeared on his shoulder surrounded by the seven Dragon Balls. "There... normal clothes can cover that but all those who know about the Dragon Balls can see it no matter what."  
  
"Oh boy." Goku sighed as he rubbed the tattoo.  
  
"I might as well take you boys home. Remember, don't underestimate death." Kyuushi spread her wings apart and a dark shadow overcame the group.  
  
The saiyans found themselves back at the party and Chi Chi and the others ran toward them. "Goku! Gohan! Goten! Are you okay?" Chi Chi asked worried.  
  
"I'm fine." Goku said as he rubbed his forehead and stared up. "It's just... I think I just learned a hard lesson about death." He stared at his shoulder and it glowed with the grim reaper staring at him.  
  
The End. 


End file.
